Material handling machine



June 26, 1956 D. M. SCHWARTZ ETA!- 2,752,053

MATERIAL HANDLING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Oct. 24, 1950 O o D o O O O O o O O O O O O O D J 0 0 0 o 0 Q o m o o o o o o o o A \N\ o 0 mm N3 0 L 1 O /IIL m o O U o o flu U .Q o o O O O N a O June 26, 1956 sc w z ET AL 2,752,053

MATERIAL HANDLING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 24, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 7m 7mm 71/ MM June 26, 1956 D. M. SCHWARTZ EFAI- 2,752,053

MATERIAL- HANDLING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 24, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 D INVENTOR.

m- I l 5 7M 7M HM gg BY NM? 4M June 26, 1956 D. M. SCHWARTZ ET AL 2,752,053

MATERIAL HANDLING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 24, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 r 2,752,053 P tented June 26, 1.956

City, Utah, assignors to The Einico Corporation, Salt Lake City, Utah, acorporationof Utah Original applicationOctober 24, 1950, Serial No. 191,808, now Patent No. 2,689,660, dated September 21, 19:4. Divided and this application April 2, 1953, Serial No. 346,402

4 Claims. (Cl. 214131) This invention relates to a material handling machine of the type described in application Serial No. 191,808 filed October 24, 1950, now Patent No. 2,689,660, this application being a division thereof.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved material handling machine having" an overheadbucket provided with involute digging thrust pivots whereby the digging thrust is taken up against the main frame of the machine substantially eliminating all digging thrust upon the bucket actuating mechanism.

Another object is to provide such a machine having an overhead bucket which is supported on paired rocker arms adapted for rolling engagement with parallel tracks wherein flexible guide members are pivotally secured at one end to the machine and at the other end to the rocker arms.

A further object is to provide such a device wherein the pivotal connections are substantially at track height to prevent distortion of the members in engaging the rocker arms.

Another object is to provide an overhead material handling machine wherein the overhead bucket drive means is provided with a dual purpose hoist drum driven from a single power source.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly in connection with the illustrative embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a right side elevation of the overhead material handling machine of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the bucket assembly with a portion broken away to show structural details;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the bucket stabilizing cable connection shown in Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged diagrammatic views of the involute digging thrust pivots of the bucket assembly with the shovel bucket at various stages of elevation.

With reference to the illustrative embodiments of the invention there is shown a mining apparatus embodying the principles of the invention which generally comprises a main frame or body 10, mounted on individually operated and controlled crawler or self-laying track units 11 and 12.

The main frame carries an overhead bucket assembly upon parallel tracks 14 secured to the frame 10.

At the forward end of the frame is the power plant generally designated 15 wherein is housed a prime mover to SlPPlY power for the shovel bucket and the self-laying trac s.

At the rearward end of the mining machine between the crawler treads are located the bucket and winch drive 26, and the hydraulic reservoir 27.

Mounted on top of the fluid pressure reservoir 27 is the bucket operating motor 28, which in the preferred form of .the invention is a reversible hydraulic motor. Coupled to motor drive shaft extension 29 is the gear train generally comprising a first intermediate gear assembly 35, a second intermediate gear assembly 36 and the final. gear assembly 37 which drives the overhead bucket reel 31 and a hoist drum 32. The hoist drum shown in the drawings is for a single rope or cable, but a multiple drum may be provided along with suitable clutches on installations where it is desirable to operate a scraper drag-line from the mining. machine, thus giving a multiple purpose operation to the mining machine and reducing the amount of equipment required within a mine or tunnel being mucked and cleaned of blasted material.

The material handling structure 13, of the mining machine shown more particularly in Figs. 3 to 7, is of the overhead rocker type. The side frames 92 of the rocker structure have curved lower surfaces for rolling .engagement with parallel rails or tracks 14, the radius of curvature of the surfaces increasing from the forward to the rear ends of the curved sections. The curved surfaces have inboard and outboard grooves 93 and 94 to receive guide cables 95 and 96 which ends are connected in reverse manner to the rocker structure and the main frame 10. Cables 95 are attached at 97 and 98, and cables 96 at 99 and 100.

Cable connections 98 and 99 are pin-connections, to allow the cables to wrap around the rocker frames 92 without distortion, and are located substantially at the rail height whereby the effective length of the cables are not changed as the rocker frames are rolled during the digging-discharge cycle.

Cable connections 97 and 100 in frames 92 are spring loaded, each cable having a threaded cable fitting 101 that passes into a cylindrical socket 102 and receives a nut 103 that is turned down upon the cable tensioning spring 104.

A fiat chain or cable 118, attached at one end to the bucket reel 31, extends over yoke bar 119 and is secured to a yoke or spreader bar 120 that joins the side frames of the rockers 92. Rotation of reel 31 raises and lowers the shovel bucket. The shape of the curved surfaces of rockers 92, the location and shape of yoke bars 119 and 120, and increase in the lever arm of reel 31 as chain 118 winds upon it are designed to give optimum results in combination with the variable volume fluid pressure system that provides pressure fluid for the bucket motor, to give maximum digging torque in one position of the shovel bucket, maximum discharge velocity in an other, and a minimum horsepower requirement throughout the digging-discharge cycle.

The forward ends of rails 14 carry digging thrust pivots 121. A thrust liner 122 formed as a true involute curve with respect to the curved surface of rocker frames 92 are attached to each rocker arm frame.

Since the curved surfaces of thrust liners 122 are true involute curves with respect to the curved rocker arms, the distance from any point A on the perimeter of the rocker arm to every point along the surface CD of the thrust liners is constant as measured with a piece of string anchored at A and wrapped around the curve of the bucket arm. Therefore, as the bucket is raised and the rocker frames 92 rolled backwardly from the position shown in Fig. 5 to those shown in Figs. 6 and 7, liners 122 are always in contact with digging thrust pivots 121 at point 2 which is the point of intersection of the involute curve C-D with line x-y projected along the top of rails 14. With this arrangement all digging thrusts, at any position of the bucket within the limits of curve C-D, are directly into the rail thrust ends at point z, and no digging thrust is placed on the bucket cables. The digging thrust pivots 121 and thrust liners 122-are readily replaceable whenworn.

From the foregoing description of the invention, it will be seen that an improved material handling machine having an overhead blucket mounted on self-laying tracks is provided, whereby the aims, objects and advantages are fully accomplished. a

It will be evident that various modifications may be made in the construction of the machine for example the involute digging thrust pivots may be provided on any type of overhead bucket without departing from the scope of the invention. r

Weclaimh.

.1. In a material handling machine, the combination with a frame of an overhead rocker bucket device comprising parallel tracks on said frame, paired rocker arms mounted for rolling engagement on said tracks, thrust pivots secured to theends of the tracks and thrust hearing surfaces on said rocker. arms involute to the curvature. of the rocker arm surface for. engagement With the thrust pivots. V 1

2. A material handling machine comprising a frame, a rolling surface on said frame, anarm having a curved edge mounted for rolling engagement on said surface, a material handling tool secured to said arm, a thrust pivot on said frame in front of said rolling surface, and a thrust bearing surface in said arm involute to the curvature'of said curved edge for engagement with the thrust pivot.

3. A material handling machine comprising a frame, tracks on said frame, arms having curved edges mounted for rolling engagement on said tracks, a material handling device secured to said arms, thrust pivots secured to the ends of the tracks, and thrust bearing surfaces on said arms involute to the curvature of said curved edges for engagement with the thrust pivots. r

4. In a material handling machine, the combination with a frame of tracks on said frame, arms having curved edges mounted for rolling engagement on said tracks, a material handling bucket mounted on said arms, thrust surfaces secured to the ends of the tracks, and thrust bearing surfaces on said arms involute to'the curvature of said curved edges for engagement with the thrust surfaces. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,906,001 Finlay et a1 Apr. 25, 1933 1,933,874 Russell Nov. 7, 1933 2,201,671 Osgood May 21, 1940 2,478,747 Deal et a1. Aug. 9, 1949 2,495,138 'Royle Jan.'17, 1950 

